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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth franchise, with a ton of superhero franchises occupying the small and silver screens. But some properties stand out as fan favorites, chief among them being Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. Development for the sequel is underway, and now a beloved cast member has confirmed their involvement: Martin Freeman.
Martin Freeman made his MCU debut as Everett Ross in Captain America: Civil War. The CIA operative’s role was greatly expanded in Black Panther, which saw him assisting T’Challa and Shuri and even using Wakandan tech. Freeman recently confirmed his role in Ryan Coogler’s sequel, saying:
Just before Chadwick died, if my memory serves correctly, the script had gone in. They had the script and they were working on the script, and then Chadwick died, and [I] sort of immediately thought, ‘Oh, okay, I could see a world where there's no Black Panther then, because how can you do a Black Panther without Black Panther?’ So, I still don't know what that's going to look like. And no, obviously, before Chad died, the idea of doing it without him would have been a stupid idea. It would have been crazy. It was very shocking, and still is very, very strange, that he is not here. So, I'm as curious as you are to see what that will look like and I find out quite soon. All I know is that I'm in it.
Well, there you have it. While Martin Freeman seems pretty in the dark regarding how Black Panther II will continue on without Chadwick Boseman, the Hobbit actor knows that his character is set to appear in some capacity.
Martin Freeman’s comments to Collider are sure to be exciting for Black Panther fans who are eager for any update about the movie’s sequel. Trying to continue the story without Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa seems nearly impossible, but Ryan Coogler is finding a way to honor the late actor in the developing movie. Marvel fans can re-watch Martin Freeman’s time in the MCU so far on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
Personally, I’m excited for Everett Ross to be yet another familiar face in Black Panther II. We haven’t seen him since the first movie, and I assume his time in Wakanda greatly changed the agent. Plus, who knows if he was snapped out of existence or not?
There are countless questions about Black Panther II, especially given the unexpected death of Chadwick Boseman. The Oscar-nominated actor died in August after a private battle with colon cancer, with the cast and crew trying to mourn while also developing a new sequel. T’Challa won’t be recast or digitally recreated, so fans are especially invested to see who will take on the mantle of Black Panther.
Black Panther II is currently expected to arrive in theaters on July 8th, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.
